Prep football -- Around the area

A non-conference tussle in the middle of the conference schedule gives Spring Creek a quick breather from Class 1-A Carolina Conference play. The Gators could use a victory as a springboard going into their conference finale at North Duplin next week. The Rams bring a 3-1 mark in the Tar-Roanoke Athletic Conference play to Seven Springs, so they will be eager to keep that momentum going.

Friday's games

Goldsboro (1-9, 1-6) at Southern Wayne (5-4, 4-2)

In the last two games, Southern Wayne's defense has yielded a combined 74 yards rushing and mixed in a stout pass rush. Goldsboro showed solid progress last week against Kinston, outgaining the Vikings by nearly 150 yards. Turnovers crushed the Cougars' bid for an upset and they will need to take care of the pigskin much better in Dudley to keep this one close.

North Duplin (2-7, 1-3) at Rosewood (4-5, 3-1)

The Rebels took Farmville Central down to the wire in Calypso last week. Despite not picking up a win, they will still have some momentum and confidence going into one of the Carolina 1-A Conference's longest rivalries. As the season progresses, the Eagles continue to pick up steam and have a strong chance to finish the regular season with just one conference loss.

SouthWest Edgecombe (6-3, 2-1) at North Lenoir (4-5, 2-1)

North Lenoir looks to bounce back from a disappointing loss at home to North Pitt against a hot Cougar team that blanked Greene Central last week. The Hawks, picked to win the EPC championship in the preseason, need this win to keep pace near the top.

Greene Central (4-5, 1-2) at Tarboro (7-2, 3-0)

With a chance to clinch at least a share of the Eastern Plains 2-A Conference title, Tarboro will certainly be up for this one. The Rams won a nail-biter, 7-6, last year against the Vikings in Snow Hill. Greene Central's defense has to come up big again as its offense hasn't scored in its last six quarters.

James Kenan (8-1, 3-0) at Union (4-4, 0-3)

The Tigers are a focused team and likely won't be looking ahead to next Friday when they make the trip to Duplin County rival Wallace-Rose Hill. The Spartans are struggling, but are scoring more points than two teams ahead of them in the Class 1-A Super Six Conference standings -- Midway and Hobbton. James Kenan's defense is giving up just over seven points per game through nine outings and has three shutouts.

Princeton (1-7, 0-4) at Farmville Central (4-5, 3-1)

Coming out of Farmville with a win will be tough. But, with just two weeks left to play the Bulldogs need to gain some momentum heading down the stretch. North Johnston kept Princeton off the scoreboard last Friday, so the Bulldog offense has to generate some production to keep the defense off the field.

Ayden-Grifton (5-3, 4-0) at North Johnston (8-2, 3-2)

This is a big one. Ayden-Grifton can clinch at least a share of the Carolina 1-A Conference crown, while the Panthers can practically seal a position in the top four and play a huge spoiler role. The Chargers are known for their running and blocking prowess, and ability to control the clock. They have yielded a league-low 84 points in eight games overall.